When Life Happens

Chapter 2

“Tick… Tick… Tick”
Nickolas stared at the clock on his wall facing his bed. He has been staring at it for God knows how long- since he got back to the air base from the funeral, perhaps. He couldn’t sleep. He tried everything but nothing worked. He turned over to face the wall and closed his eyes. He began to think about his brother.

The flashback

Nickolas, Nigel, Noel, Nathan were known as “The Quads” growing up. They have done a lot of things when they were kids, good and bad… mostly destructive. They once built a fort on the edge of the woods and every Friday night they would camp out in that fort; their father would light a fire for them. Their tradition was to roast marshmallows and play uno or go fish and right as they get into their sleeping bags, they would stare at the sky and watch for shooting stars. When they see one, they make a wish.

Noel: Look, you guys!! Look!! I found one.
Nickolas: Make a wish, Noel.
(Noel closed his eyes for thirty seconds and then opened them)
Nathan: so…what was your wish?
Nickolas: Nathan! You don’t ask someone what they wish for. If you tell your wish, it will not come true.
Nathan: I haven’t heard such thing. I tell dad all the time and it seems like it still comes true. Like that one time I wished for a bike and it came true even though I told dad…
Noel: Lucky…
Nigel: Blessed..
(all three looked at Nigel.)
Nigel: you meant Blessed..Not lucky.. right? Noel?
(Noel plopped his head on his pillow)
Noel: Yeah… I meant blessed. (Annoyed look on his face) Why do you do that, Nigel?
Nigel: (Soft voice and rolling over) do what?
Noel: correct me?!
Nigel: Dad said that luck doesn’t last long. But blessings do.
Noel: humph!! (rolls on his back and stares at the sky)
Nathan: Nickolas! LOOK!! IT’S A BIG SHOOTING STAR!!
Nickolas: Lets all make a wish together!

So the boys sat up and closed their eyes for a whole minute.
Nathan: so…what y'all wish for?
Noel: NATHAN!!?
Nathan: I wished my life goals and dreams come true one day.
Nickolas: oh really? What is your life goal then, Nathan?
Nathan: I want to be a DJ…and a musician…and the greatest Martial Arts Master of all time!
Noel: You…a martial arts master? (snickering) please?!! Get real, Nathan! How can you be that when you cant kick a ball straight and trip over your own two feet? Musician?... maybe.
Nigel: (soft voice) at least he has a goal.
Noel: what are you..?
Nickolas: Noel… Nigel is trying to say that be happy he has a goal or dream. Speaking of dreams… whats your dream Noel?
Noel: Me? I'm going to be a cattleman!
Nathan: whats a cattleman?
Noel: I'm going own a ranch. A big huge ranch…with cows and horses and goats…pretty much any four legged animal you can think of.
Nathan: so a farmer?
Nickolas: stop picking, Nathan…
(Nathan just shrugged his shoulders)
Noel: so…what about you, Mr. I'm going to just defend the runt? What is your goal?
(Nickolas laid on his back and stared at the stars)
Nickolas: me? I’m joining the military after high school. I don’t know which branch yet though. Hey, Nigel? (looks over at Nigel and he is sleep.) ah! Nigel is sleep. Humph! I guess we need to go to…(everyone is sleep)… (sigh) good night bros.

Nickolas rolled over in this sleeping bag and drifted off to sleep.

Nickolas rolled over in his bed and began to dream another dream but this one wasn’t so much a dream but a memory. Nickolas was at the army’s garage waiting for Nigel to arrive back at the base. They have been away on separate missions for six months and barely had any contact with each other or family. Nigel was sent to England for six months as acting officer and body guard for his sister’s friend, Elizabeth, as she traveled across the countryside to visit schools and discuss ways to improve them to better schools. Nickolas was sent to China to act as an advocate for Nihana. Ever since she and Prince Ling Shao Wu had a little dispute about marriage… OK!... It was a huge blow up about it, Nihana doesn’t feel too comfortable about being in the same room with Ling. But if they didn’t settle the issue, it will cause the start of a war that they are not prepared for.
Nickolas stood against the wall with his foot propped up and arms folded. He began to whistle his favorite Hymnal, “amazing grace” and looked at his watch. He kept looking at it every thirty minutes and started to get worried. “what is taking them so long?” said Nickolas. Then, just when he was about to look at his watch again, the front gate began to squeal open and the army trucks began piling in. “finally they show up!!” He began to make his way to control room to open the garage doors. When he got there and opened the doors all the trucks began stopping in their spaces and troops started pouring out of the cargo beds of these monsters.
Nigel was sitting in driver’s side of one of the trucks, finishing paperwork. As soon as he closed the mileage logbook, Nickolas walked around the truck to inspect the under carriage of the truck for suspicious items. Nigel peeped his head out the opened driver door. “ See anything, my brother?” said Nigel. Nickolas stood at the driver door. “No sir. Lieutenant Nigel. Sir.” Said Nickolas. He placed his hand to his forehead to salute. Nigel gets out and closes the door. He saluted Nickolas. “At ease…” said Nigel. They lowered their hands and gave each other a big hug.
Nickolas: oh! Am I glad to see you?!
Nigel: I am glad to see you too, brother.
Nickolas: Six months is a long time to not speak to each other or family.
Nigel: I know little sister would be ecstatic to see us, wouldn’t she?
Nickolas: sure would. Now the only one we are missing is little brother, Alex. I wonder when he supposed to be back…
Then out of the blue, fighter planes soared across the sky passed the army garage and to the air force landing strip up the hill. Nigel counted the planes as they landed and there was no sign of Alex and his squadron. “Did you see Alex’s plane?” said Nickolas. Nigel just shook his head. Another fleet of fighter planes flew in and still no sign of Alex’s squadron. An hour went by when Alex’s squadron finally showed up. They landed the planes, finished up their last minute paperwork and then were free to go. Alex walks down the stairs on the hill and spots his brothers. Alex called out them as he waved at them. “took you long enough. What was the hold up? Never mind that… We need to go before we miss baby sister’s birthday.” Said Nickolas. Nigel looks down at his watch. They ran to Nigel’s truck on the other side of the base and drove off.

Nickolas opened eyes and was staring at the wall. He rolled over on his back and stared at the ceiling. He started to drift off to sleep when someone knocks on his door. He groans as he got up to see who it was. He opens the door and there stood his brother, Alex. “Alex? What is it?”
“you weren’t sleep, were you?”
“no. I wasn’t sleep. Come in and sit. What is wrong?”
“you don’t by chance have any pain killers, do you? I have had this headache since the funeral.”
Nickolas goes to his dresser and reached into it and pulled out one of the bottles of pills. He hands them to Alex. “thanks… you don’t look like yourself, nick. Whats wrong?”
Nickolas went and laid back down in his bed. He looked up at the ceiling and sighed. “Alex?”
“yes brother?”
“Always know that I am here for you and I love you.” Alex looked at Nickolas with a confused look on his face. “uh..OK? I love you too bro… I'm going back to my room.” Alex walks out the room and closes the door. Nickolas rolled on his back and dozed off to sleep.

“Tick..Tick..Tick..Tick” goes the clock on Nickolas’s wall. Its 3:30 in the morning. Nickolas has been rolling around in his bed for a while. He kicked and squirmed and then began to talk in his sleep. He called out Nigel’s name and kept calling his name. Nickolas was stuck in a frightening memory.

The dream
Nickolas opened his eyes and realized that he was lying on the ground under a large pecan tree. He slowly sat sat up and leaned against the trunk. He began to feel pain all over and wetness on his face, like someone was pouring water on him. He reached up, rubbed his head, and looked at his blood covered hand. “what happened to me? How did i….” and before he could finish asking himself the question, he vaguely hears someone yell out, “Nickolas!!!! Where are you? Answer me, NICKOLAS!!!”
He tried to answer back but couldn’t do it. His body began to weaken as he was losing more blood. “why can’t I answer? Am I that weak? Where is this awful pain coming from?” Nickolas looked down at this right leg. It was covered in pool of blood. “Have I…” Then the voice yelled out again but a little louder. “NICKOLAS!!! YOU GUYS!!! I FOUND HIM!!! HE IS OVER HERE!!!” The sound of heavy boots crushing up leaves and sticks had Nickolas on edge. “am I going to die?...NO! I cant die here.” He muscled the little bit of strength he had and picked his weapon. As soon as he held it in defense, he got a glimpse of Nigel. “Nickolas, put the sword down! its us…your comrades.” Nickolas strength began to rapidly weaken, drops the sword and closes his eyes. “Nickolas…Hang on brother.” Said Nigel. Nigel checks his pulse and then wrapped his wounds. Nickolas slightly opened his eyes and saw Nigel. “Nigel... Nigel!” Nickolas moved his hand and touched Nigel’s shoulder briefly before the pain overpowered his strength. He yelled out in pain and then began to pass out. Nigel checked his pulse and slightly panicked. “Nickolas! Stay with us!! Nick?! Lets hurry and get back to base…NOW! I'm losing him!!! NICKOLAS!!! NICKOLAAAS!!!!”

Nickolas sat up in his bed with sweat bullets running down his face and his heart racing. After he caught his breath, he got up out his bed and punched the wall in anger. “Nigel! You saved me that day…If I was just a step ahead when you needed me to…you wouldn’t have died! Nigel!! I'm sorry! What kind of brother am I?” He placed his back against the wall and the tears began to fall down his cheeks. He cried for five minutes before his phone rang. He went over to his dresser and with a calm voice said hello. His eyes widened when he got news about his brother, Antonio. Nickolas quickly slid on his shoes, jacket, grabbed his keys and ran straight to Alex’s room. He told Alex the news and when Alex got shoes and jacket on, they both left the base in Nickolas’s truck and went to the palace…their childhood home.